“Yeah,” Daniel sighs.
I glance at Cole. “Do you still need me to enforce Code Forty-Five? Or are you out of your crabby mood?” I grin as he shakes his head, grabbing my hand with the brownie in it and nipping it out from between my fingers. “Hey!” I laugh.
“Mmm, warm brownie,” he moans, rolling his eyes back.
“Perhaps she already has,” Abigail whispers to Sue, but I catch it.
“Oh, I think I can hear Christina’s heart breaking from here.” June chuckles.
“Aunt June!” Cole’s expression suddenly turns serious.
“Who’s Christina?” I ask, wondering why she mentioned her.
“She’s been in love with Cole since she moved here four years ago.” Sue shrugs. “She’s a bit on the crazy side.”
“Please don’t start, ladies,” Cole warns.
“Why would her heart break?” As soon as the words come out of my mouth, I feel like an ass.
“Because I’m not interested in her,” he answers quickly. “One date, and she was practically making wedding plans and naming our babies.”
“What was the name for the boy again?” Abigail laughs to her sister.
“Fritter.” June slaps her hand over her mouth to hide the smile.
“As in apple fritter?” I ask, barely containing myself.
“Exactly!” Sue and Abigail chime at the same time.
I look up at Cole. “Fritter Logan. Sounds like a character fromLord of the Rings!”
Daniel bursts out laughing. “Oh, my God, it does!”
“Any time you’re all finished.” Cole flops his head back against the couch.
“Ohhh.” I pat his leg. His hand falls on top of mine, holding it there for a moment.
“Obviously, if I had known she was that crazy, I wouldn’t have agreed to the date in the first place. Last time I let Mark set me up on a blind date.”
“Hey, man, she’s hot,” Mark says, sitting next to Abigail. I try to pull my hand away from Cole’s, but his grip tightens. I wonder what he’s thinking, but he doesn’t look down at me. “I didn’t know she was bat shit crazy!”
“Mouth.” Abigail swats his arm.
“All I saw was a fine ass and a pretty face,” Mark says, earning two swats. “Hey,” he complains, “you’re always telling me to be honest, so here I am, and what do I get?” He gives Abigail a kiss on her cheek. I can see how much he adores his adopted mother.
“I ran into Christina yesterday,” Dell says, joining our conversation. “Cole, I guess you left your coat there Thursday.”
Thursday? The day they arrived home from their trip? I feel a strange pang of jealousy, and what makes it worse is Cole flinches. This time I pull my hand out quickly enough that he can’t stop it.
“What’s with her keeping it so bloody hot in there? I swear she does it so she can wear those skimpy outfits. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining—”
“Dell,” Sue holds out her glass, “could you get me a refill, please?”
“Oh, of course.” He scoops up her glass. “Anyone else?”
“Scotch, neat,” Cole blurts.
Mark’s grin grows a little wider, making me wonder if that means something.